The Practising Muslim · Repentance & the Heart

Repentance & Rectification Actions

Test your understanding of Islamic repentance and rectifying unlawful gains.

8 questions · Medium · about 4 minutes

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8 questions, about 4 minutes.

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Show questions and answers Spoilers: every answer and explanation for all 8 questions.

1. What should someone do after disobeying Allah?

  • Admit their shortcoming, regret it, and seek Allah’s forgiveness. (correct answer)
  • Blame someone else for the sin.
  • Justify the sin by pointing to something worse.
  • Persist in the sin while making excuses.

Why

A person who falls into sin should not try to justify it or shift blame to others. The better path is to follow the example of Adam عليه السلام: admit the wrong, take responsibility, regret it, and turn back to Allah. Blaming others and arguing to justify sin resembles the way of Iblees, who persisted in disobedience and refused to admit his fault.

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2. What must someone do if they took money from non-Muslims through deceit?

  • Return the money to its rightful owners. (correct answer)
  • Keep it because the owners are non-Muslim.
  • Ask Allah for forgiveness but keep the money.
  • Give it to charity while the rightful owners are known and reachable.

Why

Deceit is haram whether it is done to Muslims or non-Muslims. Repentance from unlawfully taking people’s wealth requires returning what belongs to them. If returning it openly may cause humiliation or legal problems, the person may return it in a discreet way, such as through the mail or through someone else, because the goal is to restore the right, not to expose themselves.

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3. May someone use fraud money for personal hardship after repenting?

  • No, they must return it to its rightful owners if possible. (correct answer)
  • Yes, personal hardship makes fraud money permissible.
  • Yes, as long as they were young when the fraud happened.
  • Yes, if they plan to give charity later.

Why

Repentance does not waive the rights of people. If money was obtained through lying, fraud, or wrongdoing, the person must return it to its rightful owners or seek pardon. Personal hardship does not make it permissible to keep or use money that belongs to someone else. If the owner is unknown or it is public wealth that cannot be returned directly, it should be given to the poor, needy, or public interests.

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4. What should someone do with haraam earnings that remain after repenting from a haraam business?

  • Get rid of the haraam portion by spending it on the poor and charitable causes. (correct answer)
  • Keep all of it because repentance erases every financial consequence.
  • Destroy the money so no one benefits from it.
  • Return all wealth, including profits from halal sales, even when only part was haraam.

Why

A person who repents from earning money through haraam work must give up the sin, regret it, and resolve not to return to it. Whatever haraam wealth remains should be disposed of by giving it to the poor, needy, or other charitable causes. If some wealth came from halal business activity, that halal portion does not have to be given away. If the repentant person is poor, they may take what they need from the haraam wealth and get rid of the rest.

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5. What should someone who took a riba-based loan do to repent?

  • Repent to Allah, regret it, resolve not to return to riba, and hasten to get rid of the loan. (correct answer)
  • Treat riba as permissible if the loan was for marriage housing.
  • Delay repentance until the loan ends naturally.
  • Focus on voluntary worship while leaving the riba debt unchanged.

Why

Riba-based loans are prohibited and carry a severe warning. A person who took such a loan must repent, regret what they did, and firmly resolve never to return to it. According to the cited ruling, the borrower is not obliged Islamically to pay more than the capital, but if they fear harm or serious problems if they do not pay the interest, they may pay it while repenting and disliking that evil. The source advises hastening to clear the debt.

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6. If someone repents from riba after already using that money for needed accommodation, what is the ruling?

  • They do not have to sell the accommodation, though doing so voluntarily may be better. (correct answer)
  • They must sell it in every case or their repentance is invalid.
  • They must give the full value of the accommodation to charity immediately.
  • They may keep receiving riba because the accommodation is needed.

Why

If riba wealth still exists after repentance, the person must get rid of it. But if it has already been used up or put into needed accommodation, the cited ruling says they do not have to sell it and get rid of it. This makes repentance easier and prevents people from delaying repentance due to hardship. A child who receives an apartment as a permissible gift from a father who dealt in riba may use it, while continuing to advise the father to repent.

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7. What should someone do after repenting from taking workplace items without permission?

  • Return the items or their equivalent value in whatever way they can. (correct answer)
  • Publicly disclose the sin to the department.
  • Keep the items because they were small.
  • Repent privately but make no effort to restore the property.

Why

Taking workplace property without permission is unlawful, even if the items are small. After repenting, the person does not have to disclose what they did; it is enough to return the items themselves or their equivalent value. If they cannot identify the exact office, returning the items to the department is sufficient. If they cannot return them, they may give the equivalent amount in charity.

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8. What should a Muslim remember after falling into sin?

  • Hasten to repent, because Allah rejoices at the repentance of His slave. (correct answer)
  • Hide from people while forgetting that Allah sees everything.
  • Assume repentance is pointless after private sins.
  • Continue sinning because all people are imperfect.

Why

A Muslim may fall into sin, but must hasten to repent and seek forgiveness. Allah’s mercy is vast, and He rejoices at His slave’s repentance. At the same time, a person should beware of sins committed in private, remember that Allah is always watching, control the nafs, make du’a for protection, remember death and the Hereafter, and avoid situations that lead to disobedience.

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A note on these answers

These questions are for learning and self-testing. Explanations are drawn from the sources linked on each question and are not a fatwa. For a ruling on your own circumstances, please consult a qualified scholar.

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